SANDY, UTAH - Monday, June 24, 2024. Publisher Bryan Scott is celebrating the 10th anniversary of purchasing the Valley Journals newspapers and rebranding it as the City Journals. Scott’s acquisition in 2014 continued more than 30 years of award-winning hyperlocal news reporting in cities across Salt Lake County. 

The business model allows 14 cities in Salt Lake County and eight cities in Davis County to receive a monthly newspaper, focused on city government, local life, education and high school sports. A Qualtrics study in 2020 demonstrated that 80% of homes receiving the paper have at least one person reading the local Journal newspaper each month.

“Hyperlocal community newspapers like the City Journals play such an important role in building informed, connected, and engaged communities,” said Mieka Sawatzki, City Journals sales director. “Sadly newspapers are becoming rare due to the online world, social media, rising print and mail costs, and more. Working with Bryan at the Journals has helped me understand the importance of local newspapers, which not only educate and connect readers but also help local businesses.”

Scott, a Bountiful resident, increased the number of monthly papers published in Salt Lake County, added four monthly newspapers in Davis County and created the weekly Davis Journal. He also purchased the weekly Idaho Enterprise, Morgan News and Caribou County News in Soda Springs, Idaho. 

The City Journals is mailed to more than 200,000 homes in Salt Lake County and 50,000 in Davis County (which was added in 2021). 

“The City Journals is the heartbeat of local engagement in communities,” said Elizabeth Sweat, City Journals people leader. “It provides a vital connection between residents and the events, issues, and stories that shape their everyday lives. I moved here in 1997 and started reading the Journal. It was where I learned of community events and became connected to my local city council. It was the start of being fully ingrained in the city where I lived ever since.”

The mission of the City Journals, “To Celebrate and Build Communities”, will continue as Scott plans to educate and entertain people in all 22 communities where his papers are published.  For more information, visit CityJournals.com. 

“I hope publishers like Bryan and others will continue fighting this uphill battle to bring local news to residents, now and in the future,” Sawatzi said.